


A Shield's Blade

by Jimbo_Jordanson



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game), 盾の勇者の成り上がり - アネコユサギ | Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari | The Rising of the Shield Hero - Aneko Yusagi
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Bad Jokes, F/M, Myne actually has a reason for being a total jackass this time, the other heroes have brain cells
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24705556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jimbo_Jordanson/pseuds/Jimbo_Jordanson
Summary: After a meeting with an unlikely friend, Naofumi must figure out how to hold together a world on the verge of shattering; and if he can, put the pieces of his own life back together along the way.  Every Blade needs a Driver, and every shield needs a sword.
Relationships: Iwatani Naofumi/Raphtalia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1. Prologue: Flesh Eater

It was a busy night in Coedwig Inn. As the best place to get a drink in all of Torigoth, the inn was always a host to all manner of visitors, and tonight was no different. The whole building was abuzz with the chatter and merriment of its patrons, and the warm glow of its lights gave it a very inviting aura from the outside,and for Zooth it was no different. The young nopon had spent the past two years out salvaging in the cloud sea, and as much fun as that had been, he had certainly missed the comforts of Torigoth. What better way to celebrate his return home than to spend the night at Coedwig?

“Room for one and some ale, please!” With a hop, Zooth slapped a few credits on the bar counter. In exchange, he received his room key, which he tucked into his pocket, a foaming mug of ale following soon after. Zooth eagerly snatched it off the counter and took a long swig, letting the familiar taste trickle down his throat. The bartender raised her eyebrows in mild surprise as the nopon drained the entire mug in one go. 

“Didn’t think a little guy like you would be such an enthusiastic drinker. You trying to forget something?” 

Zooth shook his head as he wiped away a bit of foam from his mouth. “No, no no! Zooth is celebrating!”

“Well, I wouldn’t celebrate too hard if I were you,” The bartender said as she refilled the empty mug. “If the rumors I’ve heard are true, the Flesh Eating Aegis got spotted not too far from Torigoth.” Zooth cocked his head in confusion. 

“What is… ‘Flesh Eating Aegis?’”

“What is the…buddy, have you been living under a rock or something?” The bartender’s voice rose in shock, turning a few heads their way. “How could you not know about the Flesh Eating Aegis?”

The nopon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Please forgive Zooth. Been out on big salvaging trip for long time. Could friend please tell Zooth about Flesh Eating Aegis?”

The bartender shrugged. “Don’t see why not. It’s not a particularly long story, but it’s really one you should hear. For your own safety, if nothing else.” She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table. “So, you know about the four Aegises, right?”

Zooth scoffed. “Of course Zooth knows about four Aegises! Was on trip for years, not decades!” Now feeling like he had something to prove, the nopon kept chattering. “Indol gave them out to four nations very long time ago, to keep peace. Gormott got shield, Mor Ardain got spear, Tantal got sword, and Uraya got--”

“And Uraya got the bow. Yes, I know.” The bartender quickly cut off Zooth’s chattering before he retold the entire history of Alrest. “Anyway, it happened around a year ago. Nobody really knows why. Some say it was a lust for power, others say it was something else entirely. But one night, during a summit of the four major nations that was being held right here in Torigoth…” the bartender leaned in, lowering her voice. “the shield Aegis went insane.”

“Insane?”

“Yep,” the bartender nodded matter-of-factly. “He just completely snapped. Killed his driver and turned into a flesh eater. They say he ate the poor kid right in front of everyone, like a wild animal.” 

_Ate him…_ The thought sent a chill down Zooth’s spine. “What did others do?” He asked, timid.

“What do you think they did? Something as dangerous as a flesh eater can’t be left alive, especially one that used to be an Aegis. So the three other Aegises killed him. Well, they tried at least. But if there’s one thing the Shield Aegis can do, it’s take a beating. He managed to escape the other Aegises and fled into the wilderness of Gormott. They tried to chase him down, but he had just… vanished. Like he was some sort of ghost. Nobody knows where he went.” 

Shaken by the bartender’s story, Zooth took another long drink, pausing for a moment to mull over everything he just heard (and let the ale kick in), but the longer he considered it, the more ridiculous the entire story seemed. “Zooth think friend is just pulling leg!” he finally said, flapping a wing dismissively.

The bartender laughed grimly. “Oh, I wish I was, little guy. But unfortunately for everyone, the Flesh Eating Aegis is very real, and he’s back. I saw him with my own two eyes a few weeks ago, wandering around outside Torigoth.” 

Zooth stared at her for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. “Friend is hilarious! Zooth hasn’t had scare like that since run-in with crustip on salvaging trip!” The bartender remained stone-faced. Zooth’s laughter died down as he noticed the complete lack of mirth from the woman. “Friend is joking… right? Surely this is just prank friend is playing on Zooth.” The bartender slowly shook her head.

Zooth felt like someone had just dumped ice water on him. “So Flesh Eating Aegis is really here? Torigoth is doomed?” 

“Well, we’re not exactly doomed,” The bartender tried to reassure the distressed nopon. “Mor Ardain was kind enough to lend Gormott their aid. They’ve sent all of the soldiers they can spare to help guard the city, and word has it that the Spear Aegis himself is on his way to finish off the monster.” Her words gave Zooth some relief, but even so, the entire inn suddenly seemed much darker than he remembered, the faces less friendly. Zooth swore he could feel someone’s eyes on him, watching him as if they were planning to follow him home and…

Zooth jumped as a sudden motion caught the corner of his vision. He whirled around to see, but it was just the patron next to him leaving for the night, bundled in a cloak and scarf. His initial relief was quickly replaced by suspicion, squinting at the patron as they walked out. What person in their right mind wore such heavy clothing on a summer night like this? Zooth mulled over his drink for a moment, trying to think of a reason, but the ale addled his thoughts. He shook his head in annoyance. Who cared what anyone was wearing? That bartender’s silly story was just getting to him. Zooth went to take another gulp of ale, but it seemed a lot less appealing now. Not unlike the rest of Torigoth.

* * *

 _“The Flesh Eating Aegis,” huh?_ The cloaked figure mused as they stepped outside, long shadow cast by the warm glow of the Inn behind them. _Eating kids, vanishing into thin air…_ they chuckled inwardly. _Sounds like quite the monster._ The cloaked figure turned their gaze upward, looking into the cloudless, starry sky. _Still though, didn’t think Mor Ardain would send their Spear. Maybe they’ll finally kill this “monster.”_ Pulling their cloak around them, they set off into the night.

_That might not be so bad…_

“Hey, you,” A voice echoed from a nearby alleyway, interrupting their thoughts. Two gormotti and a human stepped out of the alley. “Awfully warm night to be so heavily dressed. You got something to hide, pal?”

The cloaked figure paused for a moment, silent, then tried to keep walking. The group of thieves moved to block the figure’s path.

“Well, someone’s in a hurry, eh? What’s the matter, too rich and snobby to have a chat with a few _lowlifes_ like us?” one of the gormotti quipped, drawing out a mocking chuckle from his two friends. Their laughter gradually died as the figure continued to stand still, eerily silent. “Go on, say something!” The human snapped, tired of their victim’s unresponsiveness.

“Please don’t do this,” the cloaked figure muttered. The thieves erupted into laughter again at the plea, taking turns mocking him now.

“Well, aren’t you polite!”

“‘Please,’ he says!”

“Just like mummy taught him to!”

“Well, since you asked _so nicely,_ ” the second gormotti sneered, pulling out a knife, “sure, we’ll let you go! Just give us all you’ve got first!” The other two thieves produced their own knives, surrounding the cloaked man. “Why don’t we start with _this!_ ” The human reached out and tore away the cloak, tossing it aside. A cold fear gripped him as he realized what he was looking at.

Dark hair, piercing green eyes, silvery half-plate armor that covered matte-black under armor aglow with lines of glowing green ether, and a brilliantly shining emerald core crystal, swirled with crimson.

The thieves froze in terror, dropping their knives. For what felt like an eternity, nobody moved a muscle. Then the blade in the middle of them took a single step forward, and the thieves jumped into motion, running away into the night, screaming, all notions of robbery gone. After all, nobody in their right mind would dare tangle with Naofumi, the Aegis of the Shield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, and thanks for deciding to give ASB a shot! This fic has been a long time in the making, and I'm glad to finally have something to show off to you all. I'm not sure how long it's going to be until chapter 2 (chapter 1 is going up at the same time as this prologue) but rest assured that chapter 2 is coming.
> 
> Shoutout to Boxasaurus for his help with making this!


	2. Of the Second Degree

Naofumi watched for a moment as the thieves fled in terror, then snatched up his cloak and took off running in the other direction. Now that he’d been found out, the guards would arrive any minute, and he didn’t plan on being there when they did.

Buildings and alleys flew past him as he ran for the city gates. _If I could just make it back to the jungle, I’ll be safe—_

The sound of someone crying out interrupted Naofumi’s thoughts. His sprint slowed as he paused to see where it had come from. If someone else had seen him too…

A quick glance down the alleyway proved that not to be the case. It was a small, brown-haired Gormotti child being beaten by a rotund older man, probably her father. He didn’t seem to be holding back, as Naofumi could hear the dull _thud_ of the man’s fists against the little girl’s flesh even from here. Naofumi let out a sigh of relief. On another night, he might have stopped to help, but he couldn’t afford to do that right now, not when the guards were practically breathing down his neck. Naofumi had already started to turn away when he met the girl’s eyes.

They were the eyes of someone who knew they were about to die. Those eyes were asking, begging, _pleading_ for someone to save her. For Naofumi to save her.

_Jun._

The fat man’s next punch was stopped short, halted by Naofumi’s iron grip on his wrist. “That’s enough,” Naofumi said calmly. “I don’t know what this girl did to upset you, but if you don’t stop beating her, she’s going to die. Let her go.”

The man blinked, confused at his sudden appearance. “This ain’t nonna yer business,” he slurred, shoving his face right up to Naofumi’s. The smell of alcohol was strong on his breath. “Ye don’t get yer nosey arse outta here, we’re gonna have trouble!” The man tried to yank his wrist free from Naofumi’s grasp, to no avail.

Naofumi shoved the man away from the Gormotti girl by his wrist. The drunken man lost his balance and fell, landing squarely on his ass. “Final warning,” Naofumi said coldly, glaring down at the man. “Keep your hands off your daughter, or else.”

The drunkard staggered to his feet. He reached into the back of his trousers and fished out a curved knife, a gem the base of its handle glowing a faint blue. “Daughter? Ye think that fuckin’ filth is my daughter?” He brandished the knife sloppily, a look of disgust on his face. “That worthless excuse fer a blade is my _property_ , and what I do with her is my business!”

Naofumi could barely believe the words coming out of the man’s mouth. “A blade?” He said in shock, turning to face the small Gormotti girl. Indeed, through the girl’s tattered white clothing, he could make out the faint blue glow of a core crystal.

Seizing his chance, the drunkard lunged forward, lashing out at Naofumi with the knife, only for the blade to glance harmlessly off of Naofumi’s bare neck with a spark. The drunkard bounced back, confused. “What the - ?”

He was interrupted by the impact of Naofumi’s fist completely shattering his nose. Of the four Aegises, the Shield had the lowest attack power, lower than that of even a normal blade. Of course, none of that mattered when it came down to a simple punch to the face. The man fell back, stunned by the vicious blow, and Naofumi leapt onto him, the core crystal in his chest bathing the alleyway in a deep red glow. In all of his years on Alrest, he couldn’t remember feeling this much _rage._ He’d dealt with people who’d treated blades poorly in the past, but he’d always done what he could to defuse things without hurting anyone. He’d never even considered attacking the abuser. Beneath the red haze of fury, a small part of Naofumi was horrified with his own bloodlust.

This time he didn’t strike with a fist, but with the edge of his shield, ramming it into the drunkard’s cheekbone with all the strength he could muster. Naofumi slammed the edge of the shield down over and over again, splitting skin and cracking bone as he pounded relentlessly at the red-haired woman’s skull--

Just as suddenly as it had arrived, the rage faded from Naofumi's mind, and he came back to his senses. The shining metal of his shield was slick with gore. There was no red-haired woman, only the corpse of the drunkard, his blood glistening black in the quickly-fading red light of Naofumi's core crystal.

Naofumi sat up straight, panting as he wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. He looked around, and saw the poor Gormotti girl―the blade, huddled against the wall, hiding her face in her hands, too frightened to even run away. Already, he could see the telltale blue shimmer around her of a blade who was about to return to their core crystal. “Hey,” he said softly, kneeling next to the quivering child. She peeked out briefly from behind her hands, then shrank away at the grisly sight, hiding her face again. _Right. Even if I saved her, she still just watched me beat someone to death. Of course she’d be afraid of me too._

Naofumi reached out tentatively, and set a hand on the top of the girl’s head. She flinched, her ears flattening at his touch. “Don’t be afraid,” Naofumi said, gently stroking her head. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.” The girl didn’t respond, but she did seem to relax a little, risking a glance at Naofumi. Her hibiscus eyes, the same ones that had driven him to action in the first place, peered out at him from beneath her hands. She was clearly still wary of him.

“It’s okay,” Naofumi said, shifting to show her his core crystal. “Look, I’m a blade, just like you. My name is Naofumi.” He took off his cloak and laid it over her shoulders, wrapping it around her like a blanket. “Like I said, I’m not going to hurt you. And your driver can’t hurt you either. Not anymore.” Slowly, the trembling child lowered her hands, staring at the red and green swirls of Naofumi’s core crystal. Her eyes slid up to meet his. “Do you have a name?” he asked.

The little girl nodded slowly but remained silent.

He tried again. “Can you tell me your name?”

She nodded again. “R…” She swallowed, looking down as she struggled to form the word. “Raph…” She finally noticed the blue motes of light swirling slowly around her and let out a choking cry, reaching out and clinging to Naofumi’s arm. Startled by the sudden motion, Naofumi nearly jerked away, but he caught himself. Instead, he held Raph close, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he lied as he watched the soft blue light continue to encase her. “Everything will be alright, Raph. I promise. You’re safe now… you’re safe now...” He kept repeating those three words as Raph was completely enveloped by the blue light, until eventually it faded, leaving only a dull, unlit core crystal resting in Naofumi’s lap, nestled in the bundle of his cloak. He stood up, throwing the cloak back around his own shoulders. He spared a glance over his shoulder, core crystal in hand. He wasn’t sure if there was any point in keeping it with him, but he couldn’t just leave Raph in an alley where a thief might snatch her up. _If I did that, then she’d be right back where she was before._

The heavy footsteps of an approaching guard made Naofumi’s decision for him. He pulled his torn cloak around him as best he could, pocketed the core crystal, and with a deep breath, stepped out into the street, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. The guard barely even spared Naofumi a glance as he trudged down the street. The moment he was out of sight, Naofumi took off running for the jungle. He didn’t stop running the whole way, not when he passed under Torigoth arch, not when he heard the guard raise the alarm—he must have discovered the body of the drunkard—not even when he’d made it halfway across the plains. Only once he’d made it into the jungles did Naofumi finally slow his pace, barely feeling winded. Unshakeable defense and nigh-unlimited stamina did have their benefits.

Naofumi knelt and ran his hand over the roots of a large tree, calling on his elemental abilities. At his touch, the roots of the tree twisted and parted, as did the ground beneath, opening up to form a small chamber under the base of the tree, with barely enough room for him to lie down in. Naofumi silently thanked the Architect for making him an earth blade, or else he would have been caught a year ago. Naofumi crawled into the space, curling up in the chamber as the roots of the tree closed shut behind him. Normally he would have left a small opening to allow some light in, as he had during the previous nights, but after tonight’s events, he couldn’t leave any risk of being discovered. The glow of his own armor would have to suffice.

Naofumi sprawled out on his back, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. As the adrenaline faded, what he’d done began to catch up to him. _I just killed someone._ As an Aegis, Naofumi was obviously no stranger to violence, but this was different. He had just killed a citizen of Gormott, one of the people he was supposed to protect, with his own two hands. Naofumi’s stomach turned at the memory of the sudden rage he’d felt, the gusto with which he had beaten the drunkard’s skull in. _When did I get so violent?_

Naofumi rolled onto his side, and was reminded via a lump against his hip that he still had Raph’s core crystal in his pocket, the whole reason for tonight’s mess. Naofumi dug it out, turning the small blue stone over in his hands before setting it on the soft soil next to his head. The image of Raph’s eyes, pleading for salvation, was still burned into his brain. Jun had had those exact same eyes a year ago, on the night that Naofumi had failed as a blade.

The night that Naofumi, the Aegis of the Shield, had watched his driver die.

That was probably it. Seeing Raph like that had probably just brought up bad memories.

Naofumi closed his eyes, and let sleep take him. Almost immediately, the nightmares started.

* * *

“Lord Reichnott, sir!”

Van Reichnott glanced up briefly from the piles of paperwork surrounding him. When he saw the guard standing anxiously at attention, he looked back down, the scratching of his quill resuming. “It’s the middle of the night,” Reichnott said tiredly, brushing a strand of long, dark hair out of his vision. In all his years since being elected king of Gormott, Reichnott still wasn’t sure he’d actually gotten a proper night’s rest, and the loss of Gormott’s Aegis had only made things worse. Between domestic and international affairs, there was always so much to do. “If you have any new grievances to report to me, I’m sure they can wait until morning.”

"I'm sorry sir, but this is important! The Shield Aegis was just spotted in town!"

The scratching of the quill stopped. Slowly, Reichnott returned it to its inkwell, looking back up at the guard with interest. "I'm listening."

"We have eyewitnesses, sir! A group of three civilians saying that they were attacked by the Shield Aegis, and…" the guard swallowed. "and we discovered a body as well, sir!"

Reichnott raised an eyebrow. "This sounds to me like three criminals trying to blame a murder on the boogeyman. What makes you so sure that Naofumi is involved?"

The guard drew himself up, saluting. "Sir, I interrogated these men myself. I saw firsthand how scared they were. More importantly, we searched and identified the body. From what we could tell, the murderer didn't loot the bodyand no murder weapon was left at the scene, but we determined blunt force trauma to be the cause of death, sir." The guard stopped to take a breath. "We've already set Ardainian rotthounds on the scent of the victim's blood, sir. They're still following the trail, but it leads directly out of town and into the plains."

Reichnott leaned back in his chair, processing everything he just heard. He removed his spectacles, taking out a small cloth and polishing them. "How long will this scent trail last?"

The guard tilted his head. "Two weeks at best, sir. Why?"

"Call off the hounds for now." Reichnott set the spectacles back on his nose, sitting forward. "Until Mor Ardain's Aegis arrives to provide aid, it's too dangerous to try to track down Naofumi. For now, double the guard at the city gates. Effective immediately, anyone entering or leaving Torigoth must submit to a noninvasive, full-body search."

The guard bowed. "Understood, sir. What should we do with the three witnesses?"

"I will leave that to your judgment. You are dismissed." As the guard left the room, Reichnott retrieved his quill, returning his attention to the letter on his desk. _“On behalf of all of Gormott, I would once again like to thank you for you and your nation's assistance in our recent crisis. If, in the future, Mor Ardain is ever in need of aid…”_

Reichnott let out a resigned sigh. It was going to be another long night.

* * *

_A discarded sapphire necklace, still unfinished._

_The orange glow of a citrine core crystal._

_A gleaming silver spear, stained red with blood._

_Red hair and merciless green eyes, watching as Jun falls._

_A gaping wound that no amount of healing Arts could seem to close._

_Jun, whispering words that Naofumi can’t hear._

_A taste of blood in Naofumi’s mouth, blood that’s not his own._

_Burning fire in Naofumi’s veins, searing his soul._

_A distant pillar of fire and smoke, stretching into the sky._

* * *

Naofumi woke up the next day in a cold sweat, banging his head on the ceiling of his makeshift hideout as he tried to sit bolt upright. He lowered his head again, feeling embarrassed about the mistake despite the solitude. _How many times am I going to have to relive that night?_ Naofumi wondered, squinting against the blue light of morning. It had been nearly a year now, and the nightmares still haunted him every time he inevitably needed to go to sleep. Naofumi wondered when they would stop, if ever.

_Wait, blue light? Didn’t I seal the entrance?_

Suddenly wide awake, he looked around frantically for the source of the blue light. He found his answer in Raph’s core crystal, which sat unassumingly on the ground next to him. It had already taken on the bright azure glow of a core crystal that was ready to be awakened. Naofumi breathed a sigh of relief. It was, admittedly, a little odd that a core crystal would be ready to go after just one night, but everyone was different.

Naofumi scooped up the crystal, pocketing it as he made his way to the entrance of the hideout, parting the earth with a wave of his hand. Blinking in the mottled green sunlight that filtered through the jungle, he crawled out of his hole in the ground, looking around cautiously to see if there was any sign he had been discovered. To his relief, the jungle looked just as it had the night before. _Looks like I’m safe for now._

Naofumi stood up straight, stretching. If the position of the sun was to be believed, he’d slept through the entire day and well into the evening, which was a bit distressing. Just how tired was he? At the behest of his rumbling stomach, he started to wander the jungle in search of something to eat. As an Aegis, Naofumi was pretty sure that he didn’t actually _need_ to eat, but routine was routine, and ever since he’d wound up a flesh eater, he did occasionally feel hungry. He wasn’t sure if he could actually starve now, but he didn’t intend to find out. 

It only took a few minutes of foraging to find a handful of hot oranges. He sat down on a log, taking out Raph’s core crystal and setting it carefully on his lap. “So,” Naofumi said out loud to the core crystal as he peeled one of the oranges. “I guess I should decide what to do with you.”

The core crystal didn’t answer.

Absentmindedly, he popped a piece of orange into his mouth, barely paying any attention to the sweet and spicy juices that trickled onto his tongue as he chewed it. He picked up the crystal with his free hand, watching the light pulse softly within its rough facets. The normal procedure for lost core crystals was to return them to the guard, but seeing as Naofumi was now officially a criminal, that wasn’t really an option. Besides, even if Raph was a blade, the idea of handing a child like her over to the military just felt… wrong. Naofumi ate another piece of hot orange with a grimace. “Maybe I should just chuck you into the cloud sea,” he laughed dryly. “You’d probably be better off.” Not that he would ever actually do that. He knew firsthand how terrifying it was to be trapped inside of a core crystal, not knowing when or even if you’d ever be freed.

That left only one option: he’d hold onto Raph for now, keeping her core crystal with him until he found someone who seemed like they could take decent care of her. Naofumi clasped the glowing crystal in both hands, gripping it tightly. “I’ll find a good home for you, Raph,” he whispered, his head lowered. “I promise.”

As soon as he said this, the core crystal burst to life, shining with a blinding turquoise light. Naofumi let go of the crystal with a yelp, shielding his eyes. _No,_ he thought, refusing to believe what he was seeing as the core crystal floated in front of him, twirling in the air as streaks of light shot from it. _This can’t be happening. This isn’t right._

The core crystal continued its display, weaving a brilliant web of light around itself into a vaguely humanoid shape, becoming more defined by the second.

_This is a trick. An illusion or something. There’s just no way this is possible._

The strands of light grew brighter still, turning white as they knitted together into skin, hair, and clothing.

_Blades can’t awaken other blades._

Eventually, the white light faded. If he hadn’t held onto the core crystal himself, Naofumi would have thought that he’d awakened a different blade. The Gormotti-eared girl that knelt before him looked nothing like the frightened child he had rescued. Her long brown hair fell freely around her bowed head with no signs of being matted or tangled. Gone were the tattered, dirty rags, replaced by pristine white and red robes. Deep in the back of Naofumi’s mind, a piece of ancient history made itself known. _Shrine maiden._ A similarly colored katana rested in her hands.

“My name is Raphtalia,” she said reverently, not raising her head. “From this day forth, I am your sword. Wherever you go, I will go with you.” Raphtalia held the katana out, palms up in a silent invitation to take it. Still stunned, Naofumi slowly reached out and grabbed the katana. Only after this did Raphtalia finally look up, the same hibiscus eyes meeting his own once again, though Naofumi saw no fear in them this time. Raphtalia smiled brightly at him. "I hope I can serve you well, Master Naofumi."

The sound of his own name splashed over Naofumi like a bucket of ice water, snapping him out of the stunned trance he was in. “How do you know my name?"

Raphtalia blinked, tilting her head. “What do you mean? You told me, didn’t you?”

Naofumi shook his head. “I haven’t said anything at all to you about my name or who I am. At least, not since…” Naofumi trailed off.

“Not since what?” Raphtalia’s confusion was quickly giving way to concern. “If you never told me your name, why do I remember it?”

“Raphtalia...” Naofumi set the katana aside, sitting forward. “Is there anything else you remember?”

Raphtalia nodded slowly, clearly unsure of herself. “Sort of? Everything’s really hazy. I remember being afraid. Very afraid of something, but I can’t remember what.” Raphtalia smiled. “I _do_ remember that you saved me.”

Naofumi swallowed. There was a bit more to it than that, but the fact that Raphtalia could remember anything at all—an ability that was supposed to be unique to Aegises—was unusual, to say the least. Naofumi’s gaze wandered down to the core crystal in his shield, eyeing the red-and-green gem suspiciously. It sparkled innocently back at him.

Raphtalia followed Naofumi’s eyes. “That core crystal…” her ears flicked curiously. “You’re the driver of an Aegis?”

“Well…” after a moment of hesitation, Naofumi pulled aside his cloak to reveal the gleaming core crystal in his chest. “Something like that.”

Raphtalia gasped, and for a moment Naofumi was gripped with icy fear until she dropped back to one knee again, head bowed low. “I’m so sorry, sir Aegis! If I had known I were speaking to-”

“Stop that.” Naofumi was used to blades treating him like this—he’d dealt with it for centuries, after all—but watching Raphtalia grovel at his feet just felt _wrong_. She flinched a bit at his harsh command, and Naofumi felt another pang of guilt shoot through him. He slid off the log and lowered into a squat, coming down to Raphtalia's level. He set a hand on her shoulder. "Just call me Naofumi."

Raphtalia raised her head, tail flipping anxiously. "Are you sure, Sir Ae-” she stopped. “Are you sure, Naofumi? Someone of your stature deserves the proper titling."

Naofumi shook his head. "I've had people licking my boots for centuries. A change of pace would be great." He failed to hold back a grin. "Besides, my stature isn't really worth all that. I've got what, three, maybe four inches on you? That's hardly worth getting worked up about."

Raphtalia stared blankly for a moment, confused, then her face contorted in agony as the joke dawned on her. "Oh, that was _awful,_ " she hissed, trying desperately not to laugh. "Okay, I'll hold off on the elaborate titles if **you** hold off on the absolutely terrible jokes."

"Hmmm…" Naofumi stood up straight, offering a hand. "No promises.” 

Raphtalia took his hand, letting him help her to her feet. “So,” she said, dusting off her robes, “what happens now?” With those three words, reality came crashing back down on Naofumi. He was a flesh eater, a blade with no driver, a murderer hiding in a jungle, waiting to be killed by one of his oldest friends. What _did_ happen now?

“I wish I knew,” Naofumi finally replied, picking up Raphtalia’s katana. “I was _going_ to set out to find a suitable driver for you, but that’s obviously off the table now.” He sat back on the log, laying the katana across his lap. “Speaking of, you look nothing like you did when I first saw you.”

Raphtalia looked confused, her ears flicking again. “What do you mean by that?”

Naofumi rested his chin on his fist, looking her up and down. “When you were with your previous driver, you didn’t look like this. You were a small child, dressed in rags.” He drummed his fingers against his temple. “Even your weapon looked different, a knife instead of a katana.”

Raphtalia spread her hands. “I wish I had an answer for you, but I’ve told you everything I remember. Sorry.”

Naofumi hummed in response, losing himself in thought. He knew that a blade’s appearance and abilities depended at least to an extent on the desires of their driver. That normally didn’t happen on such a dramatic scale, but it was the best explanation he could think of, and the circumstances of Raphtalia’s awakening were already far from normal. So if her previous driver had awakened her as a weak, defenseless child… Naofumi gritted his teeth, now much more at peace with the idea of that drunkard lying dead in an alleyway.

A sudden growling interrupted his brooding. He lept to his feet, the katana dropping to the ground as he hefted his shield, ready for whatever threat had made itself known…

“Sorry,” Raphtalia said sheepishly, covering her stomach with her arms. “That was me.” Naofumi stood in silence, taking a moment to let his heart calm down. He _almost_ laughed at his own paranoia, but judging by the blush creeping across Raphtalia’s cheeks, he figured that would only embarrass her further. He sat down picking up one of the other previously-forgotten hot oranges and holding it up. “Hungry?”

Raphtalia nodded silently, sitting down on the log next to him. Tentatively, she took the orange from him and started to peel it. Naofumi felt weird just watching her, so he picked up another orange for himself as well. “I’ve been meaning to ask,” Raphtalia said as she managed to pull a slice of her orange free from the peel. “What are you, an Aegis, doing out in the middle of a jungle?”

Naofumi swallowed hard. He’d known this question would come eventually, but that didn’t make things any less nerve-wracking. Still, he could probably trust Raphtalia. Blades were loyal to their drivers by design. Usually. “Well, I—”

Raphtalia yelped, nearly making Naofumi jump out of his skin. She coughed for a second, hand over her mouth, but eventually recovered. “Sorry,” she choked. “I didn’t expect the orange to be spicy.”

For the third time that day, Naofumi laughed. “Well, they call it a hot orange for a reason. Should we search for something else?”

Raphtalia shook her head, braving another bite. “It’s not a bad taste. I just wasn’t expecting it.” Considering how quickly she was now wolfing down the fruit, she didn’t seem to be lying. Naofumi took a bite of his own orange. He hadn’t been paying attention to the flavor earlier, but now that Raphtalia mentioned it, the sweet-and-spicy mixed together quite well. They ate in silence together, enjoying the fruit. The sun was just starting to set, the shadows of the jungle lengthening. A shadow slid over Raphtalia’s robes, and they seemed to disappear, changing color to almost perfectly match the greenery behind her. Naofumi tilted his head, interested in the novel ability, though he supposed it made sense. He’d spent the last few days wanting to hide, so of course he ended up awakening a stealth-based blade. Eventually, the two blades were left with a pile of empty orange peels, which Naofumi scraped into a hole in the ground, covering them with dirt.

As the sky darkened further, the more colorful flora and fauna of Gormott’s jungles started to come to life, setting the jungle aglow with light. Raphtalia sat on the log, eyes wide as she drank in the sights around her. Naofumi had seen this scene more times than he could count, but for some reason, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder, as if he was seeing it for the first time again. Had the jungle always been this enchanting at night?

Raphtalia was the first to break free of the jungle’s spell. “It’s pretty late,” she eventually said, picking her katana up from the ground where Naofumi had dropped it by mistake. “We should probably find some shelter.”

Naofumi stood up off the log, rolling his shoulder. “Not a bad idea. I don’t want to risk a fire though, so the light of our core crystals will have to do.” He moseyed over to another large tree, crouching down and touching its roots. Just as he had the night before, he called on his innate control over the earth to open up a crawl space beneath the tree. “You’re not afraid of the dark, I hope?”

Raphtalia shook her head, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I’d be an embarrassment to all shadow blades across Alrest if I was.” She slid into the crawl space after Naofumi, leaning against the wall. “I can take the first watch, it’s fine.”

Naofumi’s brow furrowed. “How did you know I was going to suggest we keep watches?”

Raphtalia blinked, confused by her own knowledge yet again. “Woman’s intuition, I guess,” she said with a shrug. Naofumi decided the subject wasn’t worth pursuing right now. For all the sleeping he’d done lately, he was somehow _still_ tired, and he wasn’t going to pass up on this chance. Maybe now that he wasn’t alone, the nightmares would take the hint and let him sleep in peace. Unfortunately, he wasn’t that lucky.


End file.
